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21.
Conferences at Lea Bridge School for Maladjusted
Children were attended regularly by the Educational
Psychologists and the Psychiatric Social Workers in the
Leyton area, to discuss the children placed there from
the clinic. Such contact is extremely valuable to us at
the clinic and is also no doubt of value to the staff of
the school in the absence of regular psychiatric advice
in the school itself.
" Discussion groups for health visitors in Leyton
started in October 1959 are continuing with mutual
benefit of the participants.
" I am pleased to state that there has been
substantial increase in the number of children under 5
referred to us for early diagnosis and treatment in the
Walthamstow area, 14 as against only 2 in 1959."
fork of the Educational Psychologist. -
The Psychologist paid 150 visits to schools during
the year, giving individual tests to 319 children,
following requests from school medical officers or headteachers.
Ten children were referred to the Child
Guidance Clinic by the psychologist who found them in
need of psychiatric help, and 50 children already
referred were also given tests.
There were substantially more children seen whose
I. Qs. fell below average. This was due to the
necessity of assessing those children placed in the
three special classes, and to the beginning of a reassessment
of children attending the E. S. N. school.
The three special classes continue to justify their
establishment. Many children show marked improvement,
though some continue to need this kind of intimate
education at the secondary level.
Eight children under school age were tested, two
in their own homes, and 28 parents were given advice
about the educational problems of their children.
The psychologist gave remedial education in reading
to twelve children during the year, in 151 weekly
sessions. The usual lectures on adolescence were given
at Wansfell to the Home Office Refresher Course for
House Parents. A series of lectures planned to be given
in Walthamstow on " Problems of Handicapped Children in
Ordinary Schools" was not sufficiently supported and
had to be cancelled.